First Ag-Gag Prosecution has Taken Place in Utah

A woman is being prosecuted for filming a Draper City, UT slaughterhouse from outside the grounds.

Amy Meyer recently stood outside of the fenced-in Dale Smith Meatpacking Company in Draper City, UT and took footage of a downed cow being moved with a tractor on her cell phone. Though she did not step foot into the slaughterhouse and officers who were called to the scene by DSM’s employees stated that there was no sign of forced entry, Meyer is being prosecuted by the state of Utah under the “ag-gag” law that was passed last year. The online environmental and animal-rights website greenisthenewred.com reported that Meyer’s case is the first ag-gag prosecution in the US. Five other states have ag-gag legislation in place, and more––including Vermont, Pennsylvania, Nebraska, Tennessee, and North Carolina––currently have bills that aim to silence undercover investigations of animal abuse on the table.